The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) unveiled its National Development Strategy in 2007, recognizing the need to develop an infrastructure that was not based on oil revenues. In September Dubai became the largest shareholder in the London Stock Exchange, with 28% ownership, and acquired a 20% stake in the Nasdaq stock market index. Dubai also announced an initial public offering (IPO) of its port-operating company DP World, which at $4.96 billion was the largest IPO in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi struck a deal with Boeing to become a major supplier of high-tech aerospace components. Despite rising inflation, construction continued to boom, symbolized by the Burj Dubai skyscraper, which in September became the world’s largest free-standing building. (SeeSidebar.)

Prime Minister Muhammad ibn Rashid al-Maktum founded the Muhammad ibn Rashid al-Maktum Foundation for the purpose of education investment and knowledge development in the Arab world. He endowed the institute with a $10 billion grant, one of the largest charitable donations in history, with the first initiative being the construction of a think tank named the Knowledge Complex.

May marked the first visit by an Iranian head of state to the U.A.E. since its founding in 1971. The countries had been at odds over three islands near the Strait of Hormuz, which were claimed simultaneously by Iran and two U.A.E. skeikhdoms. Though future talks were agreed to, none materialized in 2007. The U.A.E. worked extensively with the UN in 2007 to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals and to produce an annual report gauging the state of education and knowledge in the Arab world.

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